Star profile: Samantha Farmer

Samantha Farmer, pondering a career in business management, has had some hands-on management opportunities over the past couple of years, en route to her current role as president of the North Augusta High School Beta Club.

Dozens of her fellow club members were on hand in the school's auditorium Saturday evening for the annual Mr. NASH competition, with nine students taking turns in the spotlight in a fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

For the second year in a row, Farmer helped plan and run the show.

"I love planning," she said. "I love event planning. My actual dream job would be to be an event coordinator for a non-profit organization and just plan things like Mr. NASH."

Plans are in place for Farmer, a daughter of Mount Vintage residents David and Dawn Farmer, to attend Anderson University, where her schoolmates will include Jennifer Price, a former leader of North Augusta's Beta Club (and one of Farmer's role models).

A native of Daytona Beach, Fla., Farmer and her family moved to North Augusta just before she began her freshman year, as her dad got on board with Hebbard Electric, in Augusta, and her mom began service as a reading-recovery teacher at North Augusta Elementary, helping third-graders build basic reading skills. Completing the family is their daughter Rachel, 15, a sophomore at Strom Thurmond High.

These days, the aspiring business student helps in a couple of roles at Sweetwater Baptist Church, serving as an assistant Sunday-school teacher and also as an assistant teacher in the AWANA organization, which focuses on evangelism and discipleship activities for kids from pre-school through high school.

Farmer's roles also include being the missions teacher for the Good News Club at Mossy Creek Elementary, an after-school offering. "Basically ... it's kind of like vacation Bible school or a Sunday-school class," she said.

She worked amid a decidedly older group Saturday evening, with nine students from her high school lending their talents to this year's Mr. NASH event. On board were Michael Price (the winner), Derek McClendon Jr. (first runner-up), Daryl S. Butler Jr. (second runner-up), Joseph Bonham, Brandon Carmack, Kwashane Robison, Hector Valles, Levi Homschek and Alex Ward, with the troupe from Dance Xtreme helping provide entertainment along the way.

Farmer is familiar with the spotlight, being the current Miss Palmetto State Teen. The honor came by way of her participation, July 29-31, 2011, in a pageant held in Raleigh, with criteria being an interview, evening wear and interview wear.

Back in the Beta Club, her roles include service as the club's Relay for Life co-chairman (with junior Ashley Shaw), helping the club prepare for participation in the May 11-12 event, a massive fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

She described the club as being primarily focused on service, with a membership requirement for good academic standing and willingness to take part in at least six service projects during the course of the academic year, including at least four with the club itself.

"Some of them are easy and some of them aren't so easy, but we give them lots of opportunities," Farmer said, adding, "Our main goal is just to help the community and promote leadership and service."

When asked about the school itself, Farmer confirmed that current conditions are cozy. "The facility was made for 1,000 people, and we've got close to 1,700 crammed in there. The hallways are really hard. Everything else is pretty much tolerable, except for the hallways."

Farmer's school activities have included participation on the tennis team. Farmer got the "most team spirit" designation in the 2011 season.

Another type of legwork also gets her attention, as she takes classes at The Dance Shoppe, having a particular fondness for tap, she said.